Wrinkled spineflower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wrinkled spineflower |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Chorizanthe
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| Species: |
corrugata
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The wrinkled spineflower (scientific name: Chorizanthe corrugata) is a cool flowering plant. It belongs to the buckwheat family. You can find this plant growing naturally in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. These deserts are located in the southwestern United States and also in two states in northwest Mexico: Baja California and Sonora.
About the Wrinkled Spineflower
What it Looks Like
The wrinkled spineflower is a plant that stands upright. It has branches and can grow up to about half a meter tall. That's about the height of a big ruler!
Most of its leaves are round or oval-shaped. They grow mostly near the bottom of the plant. Each leaf can be up to 2 centimeters long.
Flower Power: The Inflorescence
The plant's flowers grow in a special cluster called an inflorescence. Each flower opens from a tube-like part. This tube is called an involucre and can be green or tan.
You can tell this plant apart by looking closely at this tube. It has a bumpy, wavy surface, almost like it's "wrinkled" or corrugated.
Along the top edge of this tube, there are three thin, pointed parts. These are called bracts. Each bract has a tiny hook at its tip. The actual flower is very small, only about 2 millimeters long. It's white and a bit hairy.
